As a second-year Communication major, I have taken my fair share of Communication classes at UConn and have my opinions. I’ve taken away something different from each of them. For example, “Persuasion” taught me about how to market to a target audience. On the other hand, classes like “Interpersonal Communication” taught me how to sustain professional and real-life relationships. Although addressing different sub-topics, I am going to list my top five favorite Communication classes I’ve taken at UConn.
- Effects of Mass Media (COMM 2300)
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I’m taking this class currently and can confidently say it’s been my favorite course this semester. Maybe I’m biased since I am interested in social media and media effects in general, but I believe other people would find this course as interesting as I do. The course focuses mainly on theories and how they explain how people behave due to the media they consume. Also, how beliefs and attitudes are formed based on media consumption and the reason certain people may be more affected by media than others. These topics give way to very interesting class discussions which occur often.
- Persuasion (COMM 2500)
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I would recommend this class to anyone because it provides an introduction to the world of marketing and advertising. The course teaches how different types of advertisements appeal to different types of audiences and how to impact your specific target audience. For example, you will learn about how certain elements such as credibility, demographics, verbal, and nonverbal language, affect an audience’s likelihood to become persuaded by you. Although fascinating, the one warning I have for those who want to take this class is that it is group work-heavy. There is a semester-long project where you are tasked with tackling a school issue with persuasion strategies you learned from class. Although lengthy, this project helped me build confidence with public speaking, making infographics, and visual design.
- Public Relations (COMM 3530)
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I absolutely adored this class because it emphasizes the power communication has when you represent a company, and how the way in which you react to situations plays into how the public views your company. The course dives deep into what, when, and how you should communicate to the public. On the other hand, you will learn about the importance of the internal communication within an organization. I specifically found discussions of crisis communication interesting in this class, which revolves around keeping a positive company image when mistakes are made. There is a group project in this course where you will come up with a business proposal and pitch it to the class using the course content you’ve learned.
- Process of Communication (COMM 1000)
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I’m pretty certain this class is a right of passage for every student at UConn due to the number of people I know that have taken it. However, be aware that there is usually a waitlist because of the high demand to take the course. The lecture content is fairly interesting, but Professor Stephen Stifano brings this class to life with his hilarious and relatable examples. He will actually make you want to attend lectures even if you aren’t interested in the content itself. There is also a discussion once a week where you will complete more hands-on work with small groups.
- Interpersonal Communications (COMM 2200)
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Speaking of Professor Stifano, his wife, Sara Stifano teaches this course, and was wonderful as well! I would recommend taking this course with her because she connected with our class in a way that made the class feel like a conversation rather than an actual lecture. As for the course content, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the variety of topics which included relationship development, self-identity, disclosure, and more. I think about what we learned in this class often, because a lot of the theories and research apply to my everyday life and relationships.
Although I’ve thoroughly enjoyed most of my Communication courses at UConn, these are just a few that stand out to me. I would recommend any of these courses highly because I had positive experiences with each one due to the professor, the difficulty level, and my ability to apply what I’ve learned from each to my real life!